Islanders return to practice after COVID shutdown and resume games Thursday

The Islanders are no longer on ice.

The NHL Wednesday gave the Islanders the OK to resume their schedule against the Sharks at UBS Arena Thursday. Their two previous games, against the Rangers and Flyers, had been postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak and have yet to be rescheduled. Additionally, five of eight players returned from COVID-19 protocol.

Captain Anders Lee, along with Josh Bailey, Ross Johnston, Andy Greene and Adam Pelech, all practiced at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow on Wednesday, while Casey Cizikas, Zdeno Chara and Kieffer Bellows remain on the list. The team was shut down Saturday after Cizikas tested positive, and the team needed three straight days without a new positive test to resume activities.

But while the news of the players’ return is undoubtedly good, the last few weeks have been trying in more ways than one: The Islanders have lost eight in a row and haven’t recorded a point since Nov. 6, landing them in last place in the Metropolitan Division.

"We’ve dug ourselves a huge hole [but] it doesn’t mean we can’t dig ourselves out of it," Barry Trotz said. "Our playoffs are sort of now. We’re not going to see the playoffs unless we’re digging in right now . . . You look at the standings and it absolutely looks daunting. We can’t do that. We’ve got to look at ourselves tomorrow and get through that game."

After practice, both Lee and Bailey said they were happy to be back and excited, both to begin chipping away at the mountain ahead of them and to play in the Islanders' new $1.1 billion arena. Bailey was asymptomatic but stranded in Florida as he quarantined, while Lee described his symptoms as "a couple of days where it wasn’t too much fun." All the Islanders are vaccinated.

Three non-playing members of the team also tested positive, though the Islanders are not revealing their status. Trotz said all his coaches would be available Thursday.

"We’re going to take it day by day, game by game and not get ahead of ourselves," Lee said. "We’re looking forward to this challenge. It’s going to be difficult to get out of but nothing that’s insurmountable or anything like that. There’s a lot of hockey left to be played and our best hockey is in front of us."

Both expressed frustration at being stuck at home while they watched their teammates scramble and try to adapt to new, young players and an increasingly volatile outbreak.

"It’s not easy to be home," Lee said. "You’re a little bit helpless in many ways."

Added Bailey: "I think it’s tough when you’re outside of it. Whether you’re going through a tough time or a really good time, you want to be involved in it, be a part of it with your teammates."

Trotz said at least four of the five returning players will see significant action Thursday, and put no minutes restrictions on any of them. He did say their play, along with how the rest of the team responds, will dictate ice time. The goal, he added, is for everyone to get back to doing what they do best.

"There’s no fault," he said. "Everyone is trying so hard, but sometimes, when you try too hard, you get out of your comfort zone in terms of what’s expected, what you’re supposed to do, or what we call protocols, just doing your job. You try to compensate for other people or whatever, and we’ve gotten away from what we do well, so we’re just going to try to piece our game back."

Still, returning after an absence will be a little bit like "trying to catch a moving train."

"You’re not on the ice, you’re not able to work, you’re not able to be in game mode, all that," he said. "You’ve got to piece it together. The first step is getting our game at least trending in the right way . . . Let’s get the attitude back where we can be confident in playing where we’re close enough to our ceiling, not the floor."

Notes & quotes: Bridgeport general manager Chris Lamoriello told reporters that three of his players are also in COVID protocol. Additionally, because of COVID outbreaks and rescheduling among a number of other AHL teams, the following Bridgeport games have been moved: against Providence, moved from Dec. 4 to Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.; against Syracuse, moved from March 18 to March 19 at 7 p.m.; against Utica, moved from March 19 to Dec. 4 at 7 p.m.

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.